Express: Trio eye stopper

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will battle it out for former Barcelona keeper and Spain international Victor Valdes after a move to French side Monaco collapsed.

Valdes shocked the Catalan giants midway through the last season when he declared he would be leaving as a free agent in the summer "in search of new motivation" as opposed to "financial reasons".

That didn't stop the club's hierarchy from offering him a new deal, but Valdes was determined to link up with big-spenders and Ligue 1 runners-up Monaco, who were planning on making him their number-one between the sticks.

However the shot-stopper tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in late March, and isn't expected to be available for action until at least October.

The injury has seen Monaco halt negotiations as they turn their attentions to Mexico star Guillermo Ochoa, with vice-president Vladim Vasulyev declaring: "We have negotiated with Valdes, but he's injured, he can't sign for us."

However, Liverpool, Arsenal and City are all keen on the 32-year-old as they look to provide competition for their current first-choices.